So what is the real covid situation in America?

[Jon651]

Karen and I are planning another U.S. trip, hopefully early in 2022, provided managed isolation on return is no longer required (we are both fully vaccinated with the Phizer vaccine). We may bring a small group with us, in which case we will start in Houston, go through Louisiana, up through Mississippi and into Tennessee. If we travel on our own it will be 10 days in Texas then fly to Tennessee for another 2 weeks. The issue we are having is the news on covid-19 in the U.S.

We keep seeing headlines that infections are on the rise again, the delta variant is overloading hospitals and there is a stubborn resistance among the population to vaccines. One story was about an ICU doctor who was constantly being begged by patients for the vaccine when it was too late, they were already dying. Today our news outlets are trumpeting that the CDC is now recommending masks for everyone, even the vaccinated, indoors.

Then there are the stories that the infections are milder with a lower fatality rate. Finally we see both indoor and outdoor events, especially concerts, opening up (I like to watch The Grand Ole Opry online. I have seen the Opry house go from empty to 25% capacity to now sold out each week).

I am enough of a realist to know that media, any media, is biased and will use that bias in their reporting. So what is the true story? How is covid effecting forum members who come from all over America? Is it as bad as it is being made out or is life getting back towards the "normal" side, whatever the new normal will mean?

Everything you are reading is essentially correct. There is a spike in new infections - the vast majority among the unvaccinated - and hospitals are feeling the strain in many parts of the country. At the same time, the infections that occur among the vaccinated are less severe with less of a chance of being hospitalized, severe side effects, the need for a ventilator and the possibility of death. It is truly a tale of "Two Americas" - the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.

Unfortunately, where you plan to travel is through the American South, which has some of the lowest vaccination rates and highest infection rates. People don't realize (or don't want to admit) that pandemics/epidemics are extremely fluid in a mobile society and the changes that the CDC recommended in masking, etc. are based on the fluidity of the events that are occurring with the illness and not simply to tick people off or confuse them.

I strongly recommend ignoring anyone who conflates anything pandemic-related with politics or anyone who immediately scoffs at the "mainstream media" without telling you where they get THEIR info from. The virus doesn't care about your politics or your news sources.

For now, so long as you follow the CDC guidelines and everyone in your party is vaccinated you should be fine - just avoid anyone who is proud about flaunting any common-sense precautions.

Good luck!

 

[JJEH]

Through those that refuse to get the shot, it is getting new legs..........

But you can't say that if even the CDC admits that vaccinated people still get it, can even get it worse and still spread it.

CDC also says that the covid tests can come back with a false positive or show a positive if you have the common flu.

So don't guilt others into taking an experimental drug please.

 

[Rpg]

The states you plan to visit have the highest infection rates (18%) and lowest vaccination rates (< 40%) of any parts of the country. Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed, case rates are doubling each week. The Delta variant is producing breakthrough cases in some vaccinated folks. Overall, it's getting worse in those states, not better.

Unfortunately, resistance to mitigation such as vaccination, masks and distancing has become a political posture, not a health strategy, in the states you plan to visit.

I wouldn't travel to those states. I wouldn't bring a group of friends to those states. I certainly wouldn't take a lung transplant recipient such as your wife into those states any time in the foreseeable future.

I don't know what health insurance you have, but I doubt NZ coverage would pay for a few weeks of ICU treatment in a US hospital. You can be sure that the hospital will pursue you personally to pay the hundreds of thousands( or millions) of dollars your insurance won't cover.

I'd wait at least a year to begin planning your trip.

 

[pawngal]

Pass the popcorn......
Opinions are great, everybody has one.
IN BEFORE THE LOCK

 

[dockmurgw]

If you visit our nations capital, make sure you wear a mask...the capital stasi have orders to arrest anyone not wearing one. But you can still enjoy DC, just wander the city looting stores and the city police wont bother you. Welcome to the new re-imagined America.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Send in the clowns....

Oh wait, they're already here.

John

 

[biku324]

KiwiCop:

If travel restrictions go away, you should be fine wherever you choose to go. It is the unvaccinated that are most badly infected with Delta variant; places with low vaxx rates have highest hospitalization and death rates. Even vaccinated folks can carry Delta variant in their nasal passages; a very few of the vaccinated actually do get sick, seldom seriously ill, however.

I have to track this stuff because of my wife's medical vulnerabilities and we consult her physician group before traveling.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

In all honesty I really don't know. I see so much conflicting information it has gotten to the point where I do not trust ANYTHING I hear from ANYWHERE. Shamefull that one cannot trust the press any more to convey anything with accuracy. You get Trump bad/ Trump good-wear mask/don't wear mask-get shot/don't get shot-we're all dying/everything is fine ann depending on the source.
I am flat disgusted about the whole mess.
If I were you, I'd go to ANYPLACE but the USA or the Middle East

 

[Muss Muggins]

Somewhere between the worst case and best case scenario that you've read . . .

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Brent, consult your physicians as a gun forum is the last place you want to gather infectious disease advice from.

Well Rusty I kinda resent that. I am a DOctor (of the law) and thus am qualified ot answer the issue of the mask in terms that everyione can understand. Say you have two guys standing facing each othe and neither is wearing pants (masks) The guy on the left pees on the other guy. The guy getting peed upon gets all wet and stinky.
Now say that the guy being peed upon puts on pants (mask) When the guy wearing no pants pees on him again the pants protect the wearer from getting wet.
Finally the guy doing the peeing wears pants (mask) Guess what? All he does is wet his pants-no pee goes on the other guy.
One wears a mask not to protect onesmself, but to show the world that he cares enough about others that he does not want to infect them.
I will wear a mask not to protect myseld but as a courtesey to others.

 

[Golphin]

I am here in North Central Florida and while there has been a increase of positive test results the hospitals are not full and there have been no deaths locally. It seems most are younger unvaccinated as the majority of the older folks have taken the shot.

 

[bigwheelzip]

What it looks like here, now, though it's anyone's guess
what next Spring looks like.

I'm still holding off on a fully paid for 2-week Italy vacation originally scheduled for 2020. Hopeful Spring 2022 is better.

 

[TennTony]

I have mid-50 year old vaccinated friends in Missouri who were infected March 2021. Husband hospitalized saying it was the worst he has ever felt in his life. Wife was not as sick but took longer to recover.
That said, what is New Zealand policy for going home? Can you return if you get it while in the USA?

 

[ditrina]

Yes or no...

Pretty much covers it.

We're done.